iPhone 6s Release Date: What Not to Expect

The iPhone 6s launch date is all but confirmed which means that we’re getting close to the phone’s highly anticipated release date. With that in mind, we want to take a look at 10 things that you shouldn’t expect from Apple and the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus release date.

For months, iPhone 6s rumors have hinted at everything from the iPhone 6s specs to the iPhone 6s launch date. And as we’ve approached the month of September, many of those iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus release rumors have started to firm up ahead of time.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are both expected to feature several notable upgrades including Force Touch displays, stronger designs, an A9 processor, new Qualcomm chip for faster LTE speeds, and two brand new cameras including a 12MP camera in the rear.

The devices are expected to take over at the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus price points with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus prices dropping $100. Apple’s also rumored to be dropping the price of the iPhone 5s and discontinuing the plastic and colorful iPhone 5c.

Earlier this week, Apple confirmed a media event for September 9th. The company hasn’t confirmed what it will be announcing but there’s a good chance the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be among the products shown off on stage at the Bill Graham in San Francisco.

With the iPhone 6s launch date set, we now have a solid read on the iPhone 6s release date and today we want to take a look at a few things buyers shouldn’t expect from Apple’s new iPhone release.

No iPhone 6s Release Date in September

Don’t expect the iPhone 6s release date to land outside of the month of September. If you’re familiar with Apple protocol, this should be readily apparent. If you’re not, Apple always releases its new iPhones about a week and a half after launch and that’s precisely what rumors are suggesting right now.

The iPhone 6s release date is rumored for Friday, September 18th. We wouldn’t expect anything other than September 18th at this point. We’ve seen a number of credible rumors and it fits Apple’s pattern. If you’re looking to buy the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s, you’ll be able to in September.

Separate iPhone 6s Release Dates

Don’t expect to see Apple release one iPhone 6s model on one day and the other on another. If Apple announces two iPhone 6s models, and it almost certainly will, it will release the two phones at the same time. This goes for the United States and this goes for other regions around the world. Don’t expect any kind of a split.

Every Country on Day One

While you expect the iPhone 6s release date to land on September 18th, you shouldn’t expect it to land that day for every single country.

Apple typically uses a staggered iPhone release date where it releases to some countries on day one with a list of others to follow. Here is a list of the countries that typically get the phone on day one. We don’t expect any major changes this year with the iPhone 6s:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Australia
• Japan
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• And maybe China

We wouldn’t expect Apple to wait long to get the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus out to other regions though. Last year, we saw the company start pushing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to more countries in early October and we wouldn’t be surprised if this launch followed the same trajectory.

Every U.S. iPhone 6s Carrier on Day One

We also wouldn’t expect every single iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus carrier to release the two devices on the first day of availability.

The major players will be involved. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon are in the business of getting the iPhone out on day one but smaller pre-paid and regional carriers don’t always follow.

Last year, smaller carriers had to wait until September 26th to sell the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus release come in late September for some of the United States’ less prominent service providers.

No iPhone 6s Pre-Orders

The iPhone 5s release didn’t feature any pre-orders. We wouldn’t expect the same from the iPhone 6s release.

We’ve already seen several rumors point to iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-sales starting on September 11th, or, the Friday after the September 9th launch. The date makes sense and fits Apple’s iPhone release protocol. Apple’s used pre-orders a lot this year under retail chief Angela Ahrendts and we expect it to continue the practice in the fall.

We’d expect iPhone 6s pre-orders to start at midnight on Friday at Apple and its carrier partners. So, if you want an iPhone 6s on release day, plan to stay up late.

Zero Shipping Delays

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus might not be the iPhone 7 but they’re still iPhones and they will be hot commodities. We expect them to start flying off shelves the second they go on sale. Don’t expect shipping times to hold once the ordering process begins. We’ll almost certainly see some models go out of stock immediately.

The cheapest iPhone models typically go first. In the iPhone 6s’ case, that could mean the 16GB, 64GB. We also tend to see certain colors disappear faster than others. Last year, the gray iPhone 6 was hard to find. We aren’t expecting anything different from this iPhone launch.

Some models will probably sell out faster than others so you’ll need to decide on a few top choices ahead of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus ordering process to ensure that you get what you want.

If you don’t pre-order, you might be able to find what you’re looking for on release day but the odds won’t be in your favor. Release day stock is typically very uneven and it’s prone to selling out.

No Lines

Don’t expect the wait on release day to be easy. If you go to an Apple Store, a carrier store or a popular retailer, you’ll likely encounter lines on Apple’s iPhone 6s release date. Not all retail locations will have lines though.

Expect iPhone 6s pre-orders a week before the release date hits stores.

We’ve had success finding release date stock off the beaten path. Mall kiosks and other smaller locations probably won’t have big lines and they might actually have the exact storage and color that you’re looking for. If you want to avoid lines, you’ll need to pre-order or wait for the hype to die down.

In-Store Pickup

If you want to fully experience the iPhone 6s release date and don’t feel like waiting in line, you should be able to pre-order and pick the device up in-store on the iPhone 6s release date.

Last year, Apple let iPhone 6 buyers choose to pick up their new iPhone in the store on the iPhone 6 release date. You shouldn’t expect anything different this year.

Delayed Color Options

Apple’s iPhone 6s is rumored to be coming in gray, silver, white, and rose gold. Don’t expect Apple to hold back any colors. If Apple offers four iPhone 6s colors, expect all four of them to go on sale the second sales start.

This new rose gold color will reportedly resemble the Apple’s Watch’s rose gold color though it will be made out of aluminum rather than 18-karat gold. It’s also expected to feature a white front rather than a black one.

We Think We Know the iPhone 6s Launch Date

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Thanks a report in early August, we're confident that we have the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus launch date in hand.  Update: September 9th launch date confirmed. Apple hasn't sent out any invites for an event (those could come soon) but it looks like the company will announce the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s on September 9th. It's not clear where the event will take place but you can expect it to kick off around 10AM somewhere in California. You can also expect Apple to deliver a live stream on its website so that prospective iPhone buyers can follow along at home. It probably won't be alone though...

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